SALCEDA DOWN PLAYS AFP'S BLAMING OF INSURGENCY TO LGUS

By CET DEMATERA

LEGAZPI CITY---Economist and Albay Gov. Joey Salceda has down played yesterday
the pronouncement of Armed Forces Chief General Ricardo David Jr. that local
government units (LGUs), and not the AFP, are the ones to blame for the
continued existence of communist insurgency in the Philippines.

Citing facts and figures, Salceda stressed out that though LGUs are the ones in
the front line of solving the insurgency problem, but they are not equipped with

enough resources and shares of collected revenues to effect steps that would
dissolved the 41-year-old communist revolutionary movement.

Salceda was reacting to a story recently published in a daily newspaper where
David was quoted to fingerpoint to the LGUs as the ones to blame in the
country's communist insurgency for their alleged failure to "be good in their
delivery of social services."

"With LGUs accounting for measly 2.84% of Gross Domestic Product and 17.67% of
the national budget and further diffused over 42,000 bgys, numerous towns and
cities and 79 provinces, it is simply not feasible to pin down the resolution of

the insurgency problem on LGUs?. Compare that to China where GUs account for 66%

of the budget and they retain collections and just remit the balance to the
central government," Salceda told The SUN through email.

Salceda said that due to such unjust distribution of assets, LGUs being at the
forefront of government have to contend with the day-to-day concerns of their
constituencies and make up for the sweeping deficiency of an imperial central
government.

"We are loaded with mandates and imperatives but are deprived of resources and
powers," the economist governor lamented.

He even cited as a specific example the case of the on-going Rapu-rapu mining in

Albay which he said creates so much socio-political tension but it is largely a
national imposition on the local community. The company is paying mining taxes
to Makati City and not in Albay.

"With insurgency already a historical initial condition to LGUs economic effort
compounded by deficit in resources in face of mounting demands for better
standards of livings, LGUs are first to be crushed in the

middle," Salceda stressed out.

Salceda, who is also the chairman of the Bicol Regional Development Council
(RDC), said that social injustice articulated by intergenerational mass poverty
is the real culprit behind the longest running insurgency in world.

"As graphically depicted by a World Bank illustration of GRDP/sq km, the
countryside has been

structurally deprived of economic opportunity. And 74% of the country's poor is
rural. And such marginalization, in fact pauperization of the countryside
continues unabated till now. " Salceda said.

Salceda said the situation is even "being aggravated by structures of injustice
in the guise of market efficiency- spikes in WESM prices with NPC power assets
now 91% privatization, 277% hike in SLEX tolls."

The Albay governor was among those who opposed before the Supreme Court the SLEX

toll rates hikes. (cet dematera)
-30-

ALBAY IS PALARONG BICOL CHAMP, TO SEND MORE ATHLETES TO PALARONG PAMBANSA

By CET DEMATERA

LEGAZPI CITY---Albay athletes would comprise the largest number in the Bicol
delegation to the forthcoming 2011 palarong pambansa tentatively scheduled in
Zamboanga Del Norte this May 8 to 14. after it emerged overall champion in the
recently concluded palarong Bicol.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said he already ordered sports trainers and coaches here
to do the necessary preparations for the national sports competition, even as he
announced the province intention to bid for the 2012 palarong pambansa.

Albay bested Bicol's three mainland and two island provinces in the Feb.14 to 17
palarong Bicol, dislodging the defending champion Camarines Norte by 54.5
points. First runner-up was Camarines Sur, followed by Camarines Norte, Legazpi
City, and Naga City.

“From being disaster risk reduction champion to being the Palarong Bicol
champion makes us proud as Albayanos," Salceda told The SUN.

Moat of Albay's gold medals came from athletics, boxing, arnis, badminton and
football. Legazpi City was overall champion in swimming. (cet dematera)
-30-

REYES A MAN UNLIKELY TO COMMIT A SUICIDE---HIGH SCHOOL FELLOW SCRIBE, PAL

By CET DEMATERA

LEGAZPI CITY---A former campus writer of Angelo Reyes during their high school
days admitted yesterday here that he, too, was so shocked upon learning that his
ex-editor-in-chief in their school publication "The Apprentice" committed
suicide amid his implications in anomalous high level transactions in the Armed
Forces of the Philippines.

Floreño Solmirano, who recently retired as bureau chief for Southern Luzon of
the Philippine Daily Inquirer, said that the qualities he knew of Reyes as good
friend and former campus paper editor of Ramon Magsaysay Cubao High School
hardly gave hint to the way he ended his life.

"Angie cracked good humor and very fond of singing whenever we were company. In
fact, he was a very strict and very principled man," Solmirano told The SUN.

As school paper editor, Solmirano said Reyes always wanted that their carried
stories were accurate and devoid of biases.

"He really wants to be fair to everybody," Solmirano said, adding that Reyes
also discussed extensively on how to improve the energy sector in order to
benefit the poor Filipinos as energy secretary every time he sought his
comments.

Reyes committing suicide spread like wild fire across Bicol, the region where
known former rebel soldiers led by Gregorio Honasan of Sorsogon, and Antonio
Trillanes IV of Albay, were hailed. (cet dematera)

ALECO BOARD MEMBERS RESIGN EN MASSE; POWER CUT OFF ABORTED

By CET DEMATERA

LEGAZPI CITY---In an almost three hours via-phone negotions between Gov. Joey
Salceda and Energy Secretary Rene Alemendras, the scheduled power-cuff to Albay
province yesterday was finally aborted when all the board members of the
debt-ridden Albay Electric Cooperative (Aleco) finally decided to resign in
masse to allow the take over today (Friday) of the firm's management by the
National Electrification Administration (NEA).

The negotiation was prolonged when Almendras informed Salceda that the Aleco
boardmembers should have addressed their resignation directly to NEA and not to
the firm's officer-in-charge, for DOE to halt the disconnection.

Salceda though finally persuaded Alemendras to abort the disconnection by
allowing NEA's management team to immediately takeover the Aleco management this
Friday.

"We requested Secretary Alemendras to abort the disconnection and instead send a
NEA team tomorrow to takeover the Aleco management," Salceda told The SUN.

The disconnection attempt was the third time since September last year.

The Philippine Electricity Market Corp.(PEMC) threatened to disconnect power to
Aleco through DOE should it fails to settle its standing billed debt of some
P1.2-billion pesos, though the P843-million of this amount is under litigation.

The over 250,000 power consumers across Albay expressed deep sigh of relief when
Salceda announced through the media here that the scheduled disconnection would
no longer take place. (cet dematera)

Cash transfer program brings hope in calamity-stricken Albay

By CET DEMATERA

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – Four words, one phrase bearing hope.

Since Jan. 14, Albay is the first province to be fully covered by the government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to achieve one of the UN’s millennium development goals (MDGs).

There are currently 11,869 families benefiting from the 4Ps in Albay’s 15 towns and three cities. Each family receives P1,400 a month released every three months, as an added allowance from the government to support their families. The program enables families to have decent shelter and put food on their tables, afford necessary vaccinations and send their children to school, reminding them that hope exists and that a brighter future is ahead.

“We already received a total of P17,800 in two releases (six months) by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The amount helps our family a lot. My children are also more inspired than ever, since they can now study with a complete set of school things,” Antonio Roxas, a father of five school-aged children in Legazpi City, told The STAR.

It is no wonder then that the 4Ps and the phrase “Nag 4Ps Ka Na?” are so popular and have become a byword, not just a simple slogan. The phrase is now part of regular conversations, bearing a ring of not only hope but also pride.

Although The STAR got varied opinions from the beneficiaries across Albay, most of them felt more reassured by the cash support from the government.

Genny Arnaldo, a mother of three school-aged children said, “This is the first time that I am handed such an amount of money, all at once. I don’t really know how to feel about this, but our family feels so privileged and grateful to receive such cash subsidy from the government.”

Gov. Joey Salceda, who fought for the full coverage of 4Ps in Albay, especially for the poor families of Camalig, Oas, Guinobatan and Tiwi, said, “This actually constitutes the biggest and the more socio-economically beneficial relief to our province in this period of economic stress.”

The economist governor’s next goal is “the expansion of the current coverage of 11,869 to 92,800 4Ps beneficiaries.”

The program is based on a similar one in Brazil that gives regular cash subsidies to poor families.

Residents of landslide-hit Albay village to be relocated

By Cet Dematera

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – At least 163 families or 800 people residing in a remote, landslide-stricken village in Albay yesterday started to leave their homes as a team of geologists declared their community highly susceptible to soil and rock erosions.

After a study, Arlene Dayao, officer-in-charge of the Geosciences Division of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Bicol, recommended to the provincial government the immediate relocation of the residents within the “high-risk” portion of Calaguimit village in Camalig town.

Dayao said the geologic conditions of the place make it highly vulnerable to landslides or rock slumps due to the presence of joints and weak siltstone-shale bedrock.

“The rock slump site should be declared a high-risk zone. The area upslope of the rock slump where indications of slope instability in the form of creeping and ground cracks are present should also be declared a high-risk zone,” Dayao said in her report to the provincial authorities.

“Apart from the four houses that had been damaged by the rock slump, there are 14 other households located within the immediate vicinity of the landslide area that are at risk. The four households located on the high-risk zone and directly affected by the slump are recommended for permanent relocation to safer places the soonest possible time,” Dayao said.

Dayao said the affected villagers should not be allowed to return to their damaged houses.

Gov. Joey Salceda said he has already ordered the evacuation of 30 families whose houses are directly at risk, adding that the remaining families would also be evacuated as soon as a safe relocation site for them is identified.

“Meantime, the directly affected families are now being housed at the six big tents donated to Albay by the UNICEF. We would also evacuate the others while preparing for their total relocation,” Salceda told The STAR. – With Celso Amo

PAGASA INSTALLS RAIN-GAUGES AS ALBAY BRACES FOR MORE LANDSLIDES

By CET DEMATERA

LEGAZPI CITY---Weathermen here said yesterday that they had installed additional rain gauges to the recently identified landslide prone villages across Albay as the province braces for more soil erosions due to already highly saturated land mass being brought by prevailing monsoon rains over Bicol since mid-December last year.

Landrico Dalida Jr, Bicol chief forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), said that the rain gauges were installed in Oas and Manito, the two Albay towns with barangays most prone to landslides due to the month-long heavy downpour triggered by a tail end of the cold front (TECF).

Aside from the rain gauges, Pagasa’s newly-acquired landslide sensors would be set up and pilot-tested also in Manito and Oas, Dalida said.

“Actually these landslide sensors are just recently acquired by the Department of Science and Techonology (DOST). And we decided to have them pilot tested in Albay,” Dalida told The BICOL SUN.

Dalida also confirmed that the landslide threat in Albay is real due to the volume of rains that had already exceeded the normal threshold.

Until yesterday, Dalida said that their instruments had already measured rain volume of 578 milimeters, almost two folds higher than normal averaged threshold of 321 milimeters a month for Legazpi City and most of Albay towns.

“This means that our soil in Albay is really so saturated that its hilly portions are very susceptible to erosions,” Dalida said.

Quoting latest findings of the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau (MGB), Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said that at least 52 barangays are prone to landslides, with 6,211 families or 30,658 residents who could be displaced.

Of these recently identified landslide-prone barangays, four where in Guinobatan; five in Pioduran; 17 in Ligao City; nine in Oas; 11 in Polangui; and six in Libon, Salceda said. Half of Manito’s area is landslide-threatened.

On Thursday, at least six houses were destroyed when a landslide occured in the farflung village of Calaguimit in Oas town. The six families plus 24 more landslide-threatened houselds were already housed at six giant UNICEF-donated tents in the safe portion of Calaguimit.

“We have to brace for the worst as we maintain our resolve to attain zero casualty in our province,” Salceda told The BICOL SUN.

A series of integrated drills through demo competitions to enhance Albay’s disaster risk reduction (DRR) preparedness was started yesterday.

Salceda said actual earthquake and fire drills ad rescue scenarios would be carried out involving the different concerned search and rescue agencies. (cet dematera)

TENT VILLAGE BUILT IN ALBAY'S LANDSLIDE-STRICKEN AREAS

By CET DEMATERA

LEGAZPI CITY---The Albay engineering personnel had started yesterday building
the tent village that would serve as emergency shelter of at least 30 families
or 150 people in Albay whose houses were either totally damaged by the land
erosion that hit their place last week or threatened by another landslide
anytime should raining turn heavy again.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said the tent village was set up in the farflung village
of Calaguimit in Oas town where six houses were buried when the place's hilly
portion moved about 20 meters away from its original location, and created up to
20 meter-long and 15-meter high crack.

Salceda said the the four tents that could accommodate six to eight families
were donated by the United Nations International Children Educationa Fund
(Unicef) for the 30 families.

Aside from the houses, an elementary school will also be evacuated as it, too,
is located within the perimeter of the landslide-threatened area.

"We need to makse sure that their lives would not be put to risk should more
landslides occur. We arer lucky that our pre-emptive evacuation saved the
occupants of the six houses gobbvled up when the chunk of the Calaguimit hill
cracked and eroded," Salceda said.

Also Salceda had invited a team of geologists from the Manila Observatory (MO)
to help Albay officials evaluate the condition in the landslide site.

Among those invited were Dr. Arlene Tengonciang, Dr. Glacialle Tiu, Dr. Kelvin
Rodolfo, Dr. Katherine Crittenden, and Mark Lapuz, all geology experts.

Salceda said the team is expected to study the unusual land movement in Oas,
Albay. (cet dematera)

ALBAY’S ‘DISRUPTED RESIDENTS’ ASSURED OF AID

By CET DEMATERA

LEGAZPI CITY---As part of its continuing efforts for disaster risk reduction and
climate change adaptation, Albay has included the over 40,000 families, most of
them marginal fishermen and farm workers, to the list of residents who would
immediately receive relief goods whenever prevailing weather systems pose danger
to their livelihood chores.

Classifying them as ‘disrupted residents,’ the new recipients would be handed
immediately five kilos of rice and other relief items once they will be asked
not to go out to fish or to do their daily farm works by the provincial
government.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said the recent initiative to attain zero casualty has
been based on the recent study of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency
Management Office (Apsemo) that thousands of fishermen and farmers from the
coastal and farming Albay villages brave the rough seas and
flashflood-triggering downpour only to source out for their daily provisions
despite the prevailing abnormal weather systems.

Salceda though admitted that this new initiative would cost the province more
but insisted that life is more precious than anything else.

“Zero casualty is indeed very difficult to achieve particularly in times of
disaster. But none can prevent Albay from attaining this goal,” Salceda said.

At the height of the lashings of a tailend of the cold front (TECT) and
inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ) in December and first two weeks of
January, Albay had already provided not only evacuees but even these disrupted
families with relief items, some of them came from international organizations.

“You can only do this by providing them food assistance since we are in effect
depriving them of their food and income source. There are 41,121 economically
disrupted households due to TECF in Albay. Thus far, we have provided the LGUs
twice. Thank you Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the
World Food Program (WFP) for saving lives of fishermen with your prompt delivery
of 55,000 packs of HEB (high energy biscuits),” Salceda emailed to the STAR.
Apsemo chief Cedric Daep said that they had already completed Albay’s risk
mapping using satellite-fed images up to the barangay level for precise
planning.

“Right now we are in the process of upgrading our household risk mapping for
easier identification and classification whether they are in areas being
threatened by floods, landslides, lahar, storm surge or strong wind,” Daep said.

Daep said putting all these data and information in place would make planning
and decision making more precise and faster before, during and after a disaster.
Albay has been awarded as the best PDRRMC (formerly PDCC) in two consecutive
years already. (cet dematera)

ALBAY TECF SPAWNED-LANDSLIDE BURIES 5 HOUSES; RESIDENTS EVACUATED

By CET DEMATERA

LEGAZPI CITY---After the continuing heavy rains triggered a landslide that buried five houses the other night in Oas town, Albay officials immediately evacuated early morning yesterday to safer grounds at least 379 families, or 1,973 persons in the threatened farflung, mountainous villages of Calaguimit and Casinagan.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda clarified though that no one was hurt as occupants of the buried houses had already pre-emptively left their village a day before the avalanche took place.

“Thanks God. Our preemptive evacuation again saved precious lives of our constituents. Of course the credit is for all the Albayanos who always heed the order of our authorities,” Salceda said.

Salceda said he had already dispatch a team to assess the landslide’s extent of damage and to check whether more villages in Oas town are potential flashfloods or landslide threatened as heavy downpour shifted to Albay western coast from the eastern sea board.

Cedric Daep, chief of Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (Apsemo), who led an assessment and relief team to Oas town, said that the land movement was so strong that it dislocated a road at least 20 meters away from its former location; created a 12- to 15-meter high crack and up to 30 meter-long fissure.

Cedric said they had already ordered the evacuation of all the residents in the two villages, including the relocation of an elementary school.

“Meantime, we immediately told them to leave the place, but we are really going to permanentmy relocated them including the school buildings,” Daep said.

Daep said he had brought some sample of the eroded soil for closer examination of the government’s mines and geo-sciences bureau (MGB).

Salceda said he had already sent 78 sacks of rice through the provincial social welfare department for the displaced residents due to the recent landside.

Salceda also commended Oas Mayor Greg Ricarte and his personnel for the immediate evacuation of the residents whose houses were gobbled by the eroded soil.

“The story could have been so different had not for the quick response of our officials preeemptively evacuation these residents,” Salceda said. (cet dematera)

GIANT SOLAR-POWERED CHRISTMAS TREE IN ALBAY LURES TOURISTS

LEGAZPI CITY---The towering 60-foot, solar-powered Christmas tree, equipped with stairs and viewing-deck facing Mayon Volcano and over-looking the Legazpi City commercial district and Albay’s coastlines continuously lures tourists, some of them exaggerately describes it as a mini-Eiffel Tower.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said that the giant Christmas tree sends a message that Yuletide season or any other similar celebrations could be done without posing environmental hazards and being risk free.

“In fact, we are contemplating of making this structure permanent and instead re-decorate it depending on the occasion being observed or celebrated, such as heart-shaped decors during Valentine’s Day,” Salceda told The Bicol SUN.

Jose Briones, Albay tourism officer, said that both local and foreign tourists continued to troop at the foot of the giant Chritsmas tree built by Air Force soldiers out of aviation gas drums beside the Albay Astrodome since it was lighted last Wednesday---which also officially marked the opening of Salceda’s brainchild: Green Chritsmas, or Christmas without risk initiatives.

Briones said that the stairs built around the Christmas tree and the viewing deck on its top are among the unique features that are luring tourists from taking pictures while either along its walls or on the top watching the cone-shaped, most active Philippine volcano.

But to avoid accident, Briones said that they only allow two persons trekking the stairs, and only four on its top, at a time.

“We are strictly regulating ascent inside this giant Christmas tree. We see to it that only up to two persons take the stairs at one time, and only four stay on the viewing deck at a time,” Briones told The Bicol Sun.

Because of the long queue at times, Briones said they only allow up to ten minutes stay up the viewing deck, but no limit to those who wish to stay inside the tree but only at the base.

During power trip offs, the giant Christmas tree stands out more as it is the only structure remained glittering and twinkling being solar-powered, Briones noted.

Jovic Yee, a Bicol University student who had just gone back from a free tour to Germany because of his environment protection advocacy through his Radyo Berde (green radio) program, said that the solar-powered Christmas tree, made out of recyclable materials, is a novel yet pioneering Yuletide observation symbol.

“When I was on its top, I feel so proud that I am an Albayano who always takes the initiative in protecting the environment,” Yee told The Bicol SUN shortly after his ascent.

Several government and non-government agencies in Bicol and even in other parts of the country, had already signified willingness to adopt Albay’s Green Christmas initiatives. (cet dematera)
-30-

BICOL DISASTER CONTROL OFFICIALS PIN HOPE FOR BETTER FORECAST WITH DOPPLER RADAR THIS LAST-QUARTER

LEGAZPI CITY---Disaster management officials in the calamity-prone Bicol region
are pinning high hopes that the Doppler radar expected to become operational in
August this year would help a lot in coming out with an improved forecast of the
different weather disturbances frequently hitting the place.

Landrico Dalida Jr, Bicol chief weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), said that the
Doppler radar system being constructed in Virac and Bato towns in Canduanes is
expected to start this August.
Once fully-functional, Landrico said this Doppler radar has the capacity to
determine the specific volume of water that a typhoon or rain clouds contain
before they could touch the ground.

“This Doppler radar could also tell the direction and the time the rain clouds
will fall,” Dalida explained.

Dalida admitted that Pagasa’s present forecasting system is short of capability
to determine the volume of suspended water in typhoons and other weather
systems, such as low pressure areas (LPAs), tailend of the cold front (TECF),
and the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ).

He said that their present weather forecast could only tell the strength,
velocity, and direction of typhoons, but could not tell how much water they
contain, data needed to predict possible floodings.

The Doppler radar in Catanduanes is one of the three radars constructed in the
Philippines out of some P400-million grant from Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA). The two others are in Samar and Quezon areas.

Raffy Alejandro, Bicol director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), expressed
optimism that with the added data to be provided by this radar, casualties and
damage to properties could be avoided.

“It is important that we could determine possibility of floodings and landslides
before rain clouds are dampened in an area to avoid casualties,” Alejandro said.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said that pre-emptive evacuations being implemented in
the province during calamities could be minimized, if not totally avoided, once
this Doppler radar turns operational.

“We anticipate a more accurate forecast with this Doppler radar providing
important data out of an expected weather disturbance. With this, our zero
casualty goal during calamities would be further strengthened,” Salceda, who was
one of those who negotiated with JICA for the forecasting system, said.

Albay’s pre-emptive evacuation scheme to attain the zero casualty goal has
gained the province the Kalasag Awards as best Provincial Disaster Coordinating
Council (PDCC) in 2008 and 2009, and being recognized by the United Nations (UN)
as world model campaigner for disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change
adaptation (CCA). (cet dematera)
-30-

MANILA WATER PROVIDES POTABLE WATER TO ALBAY'S FLOODED VILLAGES

By CET DEMATERA

LEGAZPI CITY---Evacuees and relocates in Albay were provided free potable water
by the Manila Water through its P10-million worth truck-mounted treatment plant
that could purify tap and salty water of up to 11,000 liters every hour.

Christian Caong, head of the 15-man team from the Manila Water’s Business
Continuity Section, said that the treatment plant could convert water from
wells, creeks or even rivers into clean and fit to drink water, particularly in
areas which were stricken by floods and other calamities.

Caong said Albay officials had requested their services for water purifying
particularly in the relocation sites and evacuation centers where potable water
is badly needed.

He said their machine could extract at least 80 percent of purified tap water
and 30 percent if salt water.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said he was pleased that the Manila Water management had

granted their request to provide water in areas where residents displaced by
recent floodings and previous calamities are in dire need of clean water.

“Albay is indeed lucky enough that even private firms, like Manila Water, are
always willng to extend any help possible,” Salceda said, while
personally watching some 400 family residents of Taysan Resettlement Site in
Legazpi City queued for purified water yesterday.

Salceda said that the treatment plant would be hopping to the different
relocation areas and evacuation camps to ration potable water.

Manila Water also purified sea water in Puro, San Roque, and Pigcale, three
urban barangays perennial hit by floods here.

He admitted though that the move was also meant to avoid potential diseases that

may break up from drinking unsafe water due to flood contamination.

Until yesterday, some 2,000 families residing in landslide-prone areas remained
in the different evacuation camps in Legazpi City, Manito, Bacacay, Sto.Domingo,

Malilipot and Daraga. (cet dematera)

I Miss Albay’s Blue Skies

By Dr. Fay Lea Patria M. Lauraya, President, Bicol University, 1-11-11

“Rain, rain go away, come again another day. “ Never had this childhood rhyme became more appropriate than during these past two weeks when the Province of Albay had experienced continuous downpour of rains. We planned so many outdoor activities for the holidays when family members came home to celebrate but ended up huddled inside our homes echoing our childhood rhyme.

We are not alien to wet November and Decembers. In fact these are months of typhoons and we always expect the worst. However, after each heavy downpour we are treated to sunny skies that seem to affirm that there is always bright hope after every difficulty, the secret of our resiliency. This time however it is different, it rains and it rains, and it rains… without the clouds clearing the skies, gloominess hovering above us endlessly.

Albay is known for its extra ordinary skies, immortalized in the Albay hymn whose lines describe that it is a province where the skies are bluer. It could be the blue and green shade of towering Mayon Volcano that lends its colors to our sky. And now we have not seen that blue skies for days. Instead, dark clouds had taken over Its beauty, maintaining same shade of gray no matter what time of day it is , so thick that even the mighty sun could not penetrate.

Only the brave pilots dared to break through these clouds. Cancellation of flights had become an ordinary event frustrating many travelers, wrecking havoc on well laid out events and engagements. My travel to Laog to take part in the Memorandum of Agreement Signing for the Consortium for Meteorology Education and Training (COMET) under the initiative of Agham Party List is one of those events. There are four universities in the country, Mariano Marcos State Universiy in the North, Central Luzon State University for Central Luzon, Bicol University for Southern Luzon and Visayas State University in the Visayas together with DOST SEI and Agham Party List are forming a consortium to offer the BS in Meteoriology. This was in response to the challenge of Albay Governor Joey Salceda and the vision of Agham Party List Congressman Angelo Palmones. Bicol University is a signatory to the COMET despite the rains preventing my presence in that historical event. Finally, I was able to leave on Sunday, Jan 9 to attend the MOU signing at Camp Crame to renew our commitment to provide Peace Education program course to the PNP, now under the leadership of Police General Director Bacalzo a BU Ph. D graduate batch 2010. On my way back on board Cebu Pacific Flight last Monday, 10 minutes before landing at Legaspi City airport, the pilot announced that the deteriorating weather in Legaspi would not allow the plane to land. The plane seemed to stay motionless on air and during the 15 minutes or so that we were stationary on board, the pilot took the plane above the clouds that gave me a wonderful view of Albay’s blue skies. It was a reassuring thought that “it” was still there, only covered by thick clouds that bar our view from below. Albay’s blue skies remain bluer beyond the clouds, beyond our view but it is still there.

What were my thoughts? Albay’s climate as described in our science books is defined as no defined dry or wet season. We enjoy short periods of rain and sunny days continuously. Never did we experience prolonged rain and dark clouds for days and weeks until now. Is this part of what we now expect to happen as climate change? Will our view of Albay’s blue skies be gone for weeks or longer?

As chairperson of the Sagumayon River Council, I preside over the meetings of representatives of barangays where this significant river traverses, crossing the town of Daraga and Legaspi City both in Albay Province. In one of those meetings, I asked one barangay council chairperson who was in his early 50s how the River looked like in the old days. He said that in his childhood days, the river was a place where they could play, catch fish and swim for hours. Now he has to deter his own children from even tiptoeing in the riverside for fear of pollution from all kinds of garbage dumped into the river.

Will our Albay blue skies suffer the same fate? Will we remember it simply from the words of Albay Forever hym, or from paintings or stories we will tell our children? If this is what climate change will cost us, there is really reason to wonder what the future holds, to be nostalgic.

As University President, I am committed to aggressively pursue policies to make BU a green University. It might be a small contribution to mitigate cause of climate change but a long way to educate our youth of the significance to act now and adapt our way of life. We are also creating Conservation Farming as centerpiece of our extension program to protect our upland areas, promote farming practices for climate adaptation and reduce erosion of our mountains. It will also focus on livelihood promotion for adaptive agriculture and fisheries. There is much to be done to preserve Albay’s blue skies.

Let us not allow climate change to cover up our blue skies. As the Albay Forever Hym goes… “it’s a place where the skies are bluer, this is Albay our own dear land.”

Dr. Fay Lea Patria M. Lauraya, President, Bicol University, 1-11-11

DISPLACED ALBAY RESIDENTS INCLUDED IN RELIEF GOODS DISTRIBUTION

BY CET DEMATERA

LEGAZPI CITY---Though not identified as evacuees, island villagers in Albay are
now included among those recipients of relief goods once their officials listed
them as "displaced residents" whenever prevailing weather systems make their sourcing out for
livelihood very risky, such as the prevailing heavy rains spawned by tail end of the cold front (TECF) and onset of La Nina phenomenon over Bicol.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda immediately ordered the distribution of some 8,000 packs
of relief goods for the same number of families in the four major Albay
island group barangays of Cagraray in Bacacay; main land Rapu-Rapu and Batan;
and San Miguel in Tabaco City (CRABS).

Salceda said they decided to include the disrupted residents as recipients of
relief goods in order to discourage them from braving rought seas to fish and
go out to till their farms amid impeding flash floods or potential
landslides.

He said the Naval Forces for Southern Luzon (NAVFORSOL) is the group tasked to
deliver the food packs to 8,000 households of the four islands of Albay whose
livelihoods have been disrupted by 20 days of uninterrupted rainfall.

"We rushed the operations given the urgency of the deterioration of living
conditions which may compel fishermen to fish far out into the oceans which
caused the 5 missing persons in Catanduanes. Moreover, transportation to these
islands may be hampered by the Pagasa forecast of heavy rainfall this week,"
Salceda said.

The Albay governor said that food packs are usually earmarked for households cooperating
with the preemptive evacuation strategy of the provincial government.

"But, the ecoomic impacts on households are escalating with 34,053 families now
affected. And, the most urgent and critical are in the islands where trade has
also been curtailed by the weather conditions," Salceda said.

The governor said the assistance for the displaced residents should have been a
post-disaster food-for-work program.

"But urgency of needs after 20 days of persistent rainfall and the open-ended
or continuing nature of the disaster threat (La Nina Peak) which could persist
till end of March," Salceda stressed out.

Until yesterday, at least 2,268 families or 11,577 persons remained housed in
the different evacuation centers in Albay five towns.(cet dematera)
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